Amid ongoing disruptions to maritime shipping in the Middle East due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Somali pirates are demanding a $10 million ransom for the release of an oil tanker recently hijacked off the coast of Yemen, multiple security officials tell Drop Site News.
The oil tanker MT Eureka was sailing with the flag of the West African nation of Togo when it was seized by pirates at 5:00 a.m on May 2 near the port of Qana in Yemen in the Gulf of Aden. The hijacking was the second within a ten-day stretch, following the hijacking of another ship, the HONOUR 25, by pirates on April 22.
The seven hijackers steered the MT Eureka towards Somali waters, anchoring near the fishing town of Murcanyo at the tip of the Horn of Africa near the Yemeni island of Socotra, according to three security officials from the semi-autonomous Somali region of Puntland.
Once anchored, more armed gunmen boarded the tanker, according to security officials who spoke with Drop Site. The officials estimate that there are roughly 30 pirates currently holding the oil tanker and its crew hostage. A total of 12 crew members are also on board—including eight Egyptians, according to a statement about the hijacking from Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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